SSPB-006: Common Ground in the Cold
by StellarStylus
Summary: Plot bunny one-shot, up for adoption. Desperate to find a cure for his sick and ailing wife, Hawk Moth reaches out to another supervillain in a similar situation: The most cold-hearted villain from Gotham City, Mr. Freeze himself. It helps when both men have some common ground.


DISCLAIMER: I don't own _Batman_ or _Miraculous_ — the former belongs to Bob Kane and DC Comics, and the latter belongs to Thomas Astruc, Zagtoon and Method Animation.  
SUMMARY: Desperate to find a cure for his sick and ailing wife, Hawk Moth reaches out to another supervillain in a similar situation: The most cold-hearted villain from Gotham City, Mr. Freeze himself. It helps when both men have some common ground.  
SPOILERS: Hawk Moth's identity; enough said?  
NOTES: There are so many versions of Batman and his rogues gallery out there, but my headcanon for this is what we saw in _Batman: The Animated Series_ with Mr. Freeze's origin story (involving his sick wife Nora) being first introduced in the memorable and award-winning episode "Heart of Ice" and Mr. Freeze himself sounding like the late Michael Ansara.

* * *

"Common Ground in the Cold"

by StellarStylus

* * *

It wasn't often that Hawk Moth ever reached out for help, but when he did, he selected only the best in potential allies.

It wasn't as if he had many options left; his dear wife was running out of time, and he needed to find a cure sooner rather than later.

And in his quest to find a way to heal his beloved wife — with or without the Miraculous — he heard of another individual who was in a similar situation.

Another man who only wanted to cure his sick wife.

But this other man didn't live anywhere nearby. He wasn't in Paris, or anywhere else in France, and certainly not even on the same continent.

No, this other man was from the United States. More specifically, he was from Gotham City.

That had been a challenge for Hawk Moth, trying to reach out to this other individual without getting the attention of _Batman_.

Fortunately, all his patience had paid off, and a line of communication was set up between the two men. Not only did they not want the Dark Knight of any of Gotham's other protectors getting involved, but they didn't want any of the other usual inmates at Arkham Asylum finding out and trying to get involved either.

Hawk Moth was especially insistent about that. The last thing which he wanted or needed was a lunatic like _The Joker_ of all people getting involved.

Finally, the other man arrived.

Hawk Moth kept his composure, but otherwise he couldn't help himself: This newcomer was something else entirely. He looked like a robot in his shiny metallic armor, the only sign of any flesh and blood within it being the pale, hairless head, completely bald save for the pair of glowing red goggles which shielded the eyes. For goodness' sake, the newcomer looked some old-fashioned robot ripped straight from the pages of those campy old graphic novels which Gabriel Agreste used to read as a young lad.

With a small-but-still-villainous smile, Hawk Moth smoothly said, "Welcome, Mr. Freeze."

Gotham's coldest villain gave a small nod of acknowledgement. "Hawk Moth. At least we meet."

_...By the Quantic Gods,_ Hawk Moth thought, _he even sounds like a robot._

"Indeed, thank you for coming. I trust your voyage was satisfactory?"

"As comfortable as it could be, given my... condition."

Hawk Moth nodded; of course he knew about how and why Mr. Freeze wore that suit.

"Anything for a new ally," Hawk Moth purred. Honestly, when you thought about it, his dealings with other supervillains as Hawk Moth weren't so different than the kinds of boardroom meetings he'd had with business partners as Gabriel Agreste.

"Anyway, I have invited you here to discuss what we can do for each other. Like you, I also have someone very near and dear to me who I need to keep hidden out of sight while I strive to cure her."

Hawk Moth had already decided that he would do as much as he could to conceal his dear Emilie's identity from Mr. Freeze, because then the Gothamite could connect the dots and realize that he was really Gabriel Agreste.

Still, they would cross that bridge when they got to it.

As for Mr. Freeze, he looked at Hawk Moth a little suspiciously. Like his Parisian counterpart, the cryogenics researcher had done his homework about the other man.

Hawk Moth could almost see the question forming in the scientist's mind: _What does this magic-using villain want with someone like me?_

"You might dabble in magic, Hawk Moth, but I am a man of _science_."

Hawk Moth gracefully brushed it off with a chuckle, and smoothly replied to Mr. Freeze, "I understand and respect that, Doctor, but one does what what can with what one has."

"And you still reached out to me, because...?"

"Not to sound _too_ desperate, Doctor, but I'll take whatever I can get," Hawk Moth replied smoothly, squashing his own feelings of desperation to save Emilie before it was too late for her. "If your cryogenic methods can buy my beloved any more time until I can find a cure for her, then I'll gladly take them."

Mr. Freeze nodded. "Perfectly understandable."

"But perhaps my magic could also help you in a way where science has thus far failed," Hawk Moth pointed out. "Perhaps I could even get you out of that freezing suit and restore you to full health? Anything is possible."

Mr. Freeze paused for a moment before responding, "Do not think that such a thought has not already crossed my mind, Hawk Moth. But in any case, we need to cure my wife first. Only after she is restored to full health will I focus on myself."

"Such admirable devotion, Doctor," Hawk Moth commended the other man. "Very well, then... do we have a deal?"

Mr. Freeze paused for a second, but didn't need to wait any longer than that to respond. "Yes, we have a deal."

They shook on it.

...And Hawk Moth tried not to let himself be bothered by the handshake; he knew that Mr. Freeze was cold, but he still felt it through the gloves.

Gabriel Agreste and Dr. Victor Fries — no, _Hawk Moth_ and _Mr. Freeze_ — regarded each other coolly.

They may have both been villains, but there was a mutual understanding to be had between them.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTES: So yeah, as soon as I first saw Gabriel Agreste's wife being preserved in a tube, I was thinking to myself something like: _It's just like with Mr. Freeze and his wife!_ And thus this idea popped into my head.


End file.
